dilapidations

'Dilapidations' is a term that refers to breaches of lease covenants that relate to the condition of a property during the term of the tenancy or when the lease ends.

In laymans' terms, dilapidations are the repairs and reinstatement actions required under the terms of a tenancy agreement put forward by the landlord to the tenant in the form of a Schedule of Dilapidations.

Hiring a qualified and experienced surveyor such as those employed at Eyesurvey to thoroughly go through a dilapidations claim can save money by having the claim reduced or removed completely.

Eyesurvey undertook a dilapidations claim for an accountancy firm occupying the third floor of offices based in Colchester town centre. As the lease drew towards expiry they received a claim from the Landlords, a major Bank, for alleged Dilapidations under the lease amounting to around £27,000.

We checked the Lease carefully, and found many of the items on which the claim was based were actually the Landlord’s responsibility, and not those of the tenants. Other items were for maintenance already paid for under the Service Charges. The Landlord’s surveyors had not read or interpreted the Lease provisions properly, but were resistant to amending the claims, and would not re-negotiate. Eventually, and only by dealing through the Landlord’s solicitors, after some months we agreed that the claim was inflated and improper. The claim was reduced to only £5,000, and then settled.

Tenancy agreements can be confusing and hence dilapidation responsibility is a difficult area for tenants and landlords to agree on. Call us today, we can assist in this process so any payment is fair and just to both parties involved.